The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, (CCT-Ghana), have issued a one-week ultimatum to the government to pay all allowances by May 13 or face their absence in the classrooms.
Speaking at a press conference on May 6, Greater Accra Regional General Secretary of GNAT, Peter Boateng said “We wish to state that should the employer fail to address their grievance on or before May 13, 2024, we shall not hesitate to call on leadership to appeal to heaven with the utmost alacrity.”
Mr Boateng said the decision follows the government’s persistent refusal to improve their conditions of service, despite demands spanning almost one and a half decades.
Each time, he said that the government’s consistent claim of not having funds to meet certain demands has compelled them to reduce their requests to four.
The General Secretary stated that, despite their efforts, the government was still not committed to meeting these few demands.
“The allowances we have been calling for over the last 15 years were many. However, due to several considerations in line with good faith, we have reduced them to four which include the following; deprived area allowance, extra assessment allowance, book-data online support allowance and upwards adjustment of the CPD allowance.
“Despite these gestures of good faith by the unions, government has not realised the need to appreciate it and demonstrate same. This adamant posture of government will no longer be tolerated in the face of these harsh economic pressures”he said.
As such, he said the union would no longer accept excuses from the government and gives the employer until May 13 to urgently address their grievance.
In the past few weeks complained about non-payment of allowances, and most recently, the delay in payment of their tier two allowances.
Leadership of the group across the 16 regions have been holding simultaneous news conferences on their concerns.
Teachers in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region said they have had enough of the employer’s aloofness, and until their demands are met by the said date, they would lay down their tools.
“We wish to stress that we have had enough of the nonchalance, complacency and aloofness of the employer and will thus not countenance this situation any longer,” the union said.
In the Upper West Region, the leadership of the unions stated that only payment of the allowances will convince them to back down.
They stressed that prices and fees for goods and services kept escalating, but their salaries were still the same.
The union said this has forced some male teachers to remain single, as many of their in-laws say they might be unable to cater for their daughters.